Refeed help!

[AldrichAStern]

I need some help regarding refeeds. I am about 190 lbs at 15% bodyfat, running a 40/40/20 cutting diet (2200 cals... just lowered it from 2400 a week ago) and need to know how to structure my refeed. It seems that it's been said over and over by Bobo and co. that at my bodyfat, frequent refeeds aren't really necessary, but my setpoint bf is around the 25%-30% range. In other words, if I am not dieting, I can easily get to about 25% bodyfat...

Every week or so, it seems that I cannot stop obsessing over food to the point that I become ravenous and eat everything in sight... Hell at this point, sometimes if I take a day off of taking my EC this happens. After the binge day, I am satiated for about a week or so until the process repeats again. Because of this, it seems like for the last few months I've been hovering at about 13%-15% bodyfat or so, despite having a pretty decent cutting diet, until I get frustrated and give up cutting, having to start all over again.

Should I do frequent refeeds since my natural set bf% is so high, despite not even breaking into single digits yet? Maybe just a better appetite suppressant? Maybe my willpower just sucks? I've read a lot about refeeds, and I would probably only refeed at maintenance cals because of my shitty metabolism at about a 70/20/10 split.

Any advice is much appreciated!

 

[dsl]

Why do you need to refeed on a 40/40/20 diet? Refeeds are for carbing up on a cyclical low carb diet. With 40% carbs you have no reason to refeed.

Also, I would suggest that the reason for stalling is because you are not eating enough and your body's metabolism is beginning to stall due to the low amount of cals.

 

[AldrichAStern]

Cals are too low? I started at 2600 and kept lowering it as my weightloss stalled... I don't think 2200 is too low, as my metabolism is extremely slow. I know that most people rationalize this, but I just come from a naturall fat family, despite the fact that we all eat healthy.

As for why I need a refeed on a 40/40/20... I didn't know they were low-carb exclusive. I am not suggesting a refeed because my weight loss is beginning to stall. I am suggesting a refeed because of extreme hunger/food obsessions after several days of dieting... this is something that I would get on a 2200 calorie diet or a 2800 calorie diet. In fact, I would say the reason that I've been lowering calories isn't that my metabolism has been stalling out, but that excess calories from binge eating has begun to negate any dieting in the past week. People with very low bodyfat %s need a refeed, regardless of whether or not they are on a low-carb diet. I am suggesting that I might need one because my set point is so extremely high, and therefore my bodyfat 15% is relatively (to myself) low.

 

[bfgroup]

Perhaps what you are really referring to is a cheat day. I would suggest adding a cheat meal once a week with the food that you are craving all week. It is important for a lot of people in order to keep your sanity.

 

[Giantz11]

Refeed, cheat day...Almost same principal. If you are hypocaloric you need a refeed nit just if you are carb cycling. It will help will the Leptin issues that arise due to dieting.

 

[dsl]

duh, didn't realize that you were talking about a cheat meal, my bad. anyways, you could try eating foods that aren't very calorie dense like vegetables and egg whites take make yourself more full.

 

[Giantz11]

I think the point would be to actually eat high calorie food, lots of carbs etc...

 

[dsl]

I think the point would be to actually eat high calorie food, lots of carbs etc...

with the veggies i meant on top of what he eats to act as filler, and if he eats too many high cal foods he won't actually get very full because there is not enough bulk to fill the stomach.

 

[Giantz11]

Good call! When I cheat I get full but then my stomach goes nutz and i usually end up in the bathroom in about 15 mins.

 

[dsl]

Good call! When I cheat I get full but then my stomach goes nutz and i usually end up in the bathroom in about 15 mins.

ya, i hear ya...for some reason my roomates don't appreciate me farting all the time...lol

 

[AldrichAStern]

So I should encorporate a cheat meal once a week? Would that be enough to restore my leptin levels? How about just a refeed day of eating @ maintenance?

 

[mpkonig]

on refeeds.....is there any specific guidelines for the carbs/calories you take in on a refeed day??....im on a low carb diet right now.....according to an aricle i found on avants website.....im eating around 2015 cal ....(bodyfat x 31=2015 calories) that is the number that i should need to lose weight and hold on to most of my lean mass.....at least thats what the article said....wish i could remember what thread it was on....anyways......im averaging around 50 carbs a day....and like i said...2015 calories a day....give a take 10-15 carbs and about 100-200 cals.......but mostly i try to stay as close to 50 and 2015 as possible.....how much should i up my calories and carbs on my refeed day??? what kind of foods should i eat to up that....low gi?? whatever i want?? if ya can please help i would appreciate it? maybe even some food examples would be great also...thanks